'New Women' and the Creation of Modern Sexuality: A Comparative Analysis of Japan and Korea

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Shin/Muta
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marriage and strove to obtain positions as specialists. They
participated in radical movements fro economic and social
reform and displayed political power. Both in terms of higher
education and employment, the Japanese and American New
Women differed in their social status. In Japan, insufficient job
opportunities made the Japanese counterpart financially less
independent and self-reliant.
Thus, the socio-economic predicament of Japanese New
Women made their situation wuite grim. Their sphere of action
was limited to literature and literary work, as represented by the
women of Seitô. Literature merely formed a stepping stone for
women to social and economic activity, marking the milieu of
Japan’s New Women. In other words, the path to the mature
status occupied by American counterpart was blocked in Japan.
The definition of “New Woman” as she appeared in Korea
approximated more to the American version. Korea’s New
Women first included women educated in western-style schools
with yangban decent (nobility). The need for independence
movement (against Japanese imperialism) further caused the